The present invention relates to an imaging system including a body unit, at least one type of interchangeable lens unit, and at least one type of external unit.
The external unit has specific functions such as a printer function, a scanner function, and the like.
In the case where the body unit and one of the at least one type of interchangeable lens unit are connected integrally, the imaging system becomes an imaging device capable of shooting a photographic subject, and in the case where the body unit and one of the at least one type of external unit are connected integrally, the imaging system becomes a device having a specific function of the connected external unit.
As a method of transferring image data of an image shot by a digital camera (electronic still camera) to a PC (personal computer) or a printer, a general method is that the camera and the PC, or the camera and the printer are connected by cables for transferring the image data.
For example, Japanese patent application publication number H06-350888 discloses an electronic still camera which connects with a label printer by cables when sending image data to the label printer.
Additionally, Japanese patent application publication number 2000-92358 discloses a camera system in which an external connection device has a mount part configured similarly to a mount part of a lens side of a single-lens reflex digital camera, and when a body part of the single-lens reflex digital camera and the external connection device are connected, the body part and the external connection device are mechanically and electrically connected via the mount part of the external connection device, and the camera system becomes a device having a specific function of the connected external device.
However, in a connection method by cables as disclosed in Japanese patent application publication number H06-350888, the electronic still camera and the label printer are not organized in one place in the case of communication, and therefore space is needed as a whole, usability is not satisfactory, and additionally the appearance is not satisfactory because of the cables.
And in Japanese patent application publication number 2000-92358, not only a main control program in order that the body part implements a function as a camera, but also a control program for implementing a function of an arbitrary external connection device are needed to be installed in the body part.
Therefore, even though a user uses the camera system disclosed in Japanese patent application publication number 2000-92358 only as a camera, and does not need to buy or use the external connection device, a large memory capacity for storing a control program of the external connection device is still needed for a memory in the body part, and accordingly there is a problem in that the installation cost of the body part may increase disadvantageously.